I happened upon this by slight chance in my local library. I was in town and didn't even plan on going to the library that day. But oh-me-oh-my did this 29-page children's emotional educational graphic novel surprise me.
'No-So-Sleeping Beauty: An Untraditional Graphic Novel' is part of the 'I Fell Into a Fairy Tale' series, and this one is a subversion and reconstruction of the Sleeping Beauty tale. It's about a kid named Remi (who is androgynous in appearance, and always wears traditional boys' clothes, and her pronouns are only specified in the comic once, and all the blurbs I've read refer to her as she/her... still, her gender nonconformity is a great touch to a modern children's educational book), who, when browsing in a library, literally, magically falls into the storybook of Sleeping Beauty.I won't spoil anything important, but 'Not-So-Sleeping Beauty' is very funny, as well as short and sweet. Sleeping Beauty herself, Princess Briar Rose, is a POC, and is smart, friendly, resourceful and brave. There are messages of friendship, kindness, communication, and empathy. And consent.
The art is great. Colourful, vibrant, bold, and expressive, like any modern, more mainstream fantasy graphic novel. It is something I did not expect in an obscure children's comic this short.
In fact, there were a lot of things in 'Not-So-Sleeping Beauty' I did not expect, and which pleasantly surprised me. I recommend it for a good, bountiful five-minute read, for all ages. It is sure to relax and assure particularly sensitive kids in need of cheering up; to show them they are not alone, and that there are positive things - positive changes - in life. Things to look forward to. For anything is possible.
It's good therapy for the young and the young at heart, I'd say.
Its inclusion is a must for school libraries.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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